Best of 2015 Awards Banquet Set to Honor Winners

Once again, we’re making plans for the annual banquet honoring the winners of the Best of 2015 Awards. Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 30, to join us for an evening of celebrating some of the best work created by Idaho journalists in the last year – plus a great excuse to let loose and catch up with your friends and colleagues.

We’re returning to the Owyhee in downtown Boise for our once-a-year excuse to get dressed up. We’ll gather in the ballroom on the second floor beginning at 6 p.m. for a social hour featuring a no-host bar and some general merrymaking.

The formal portion of the evening (or, at least semi-formal) will start at 7 p.m., when we’ll hand out our first round of awards, followed by a buffet dinner prepared by the extremely talented chefs from Kindness.

This year’s menu includes entree choices of medallions of beef with a balsamic reduction or chicken Marsala, accompanied by roasted garlic mashers, a Caesar salad and more.

Those who prefer a vegetarian option will need to reserve their entrée – vegetarian lasagna with butternut squash sauce– in advance when they register online.

As usual, there will be a full no-host bar and bottles of wine will be available for purchase. Please remember to respect the reserved residential parking in the area, but the parking lot across the street from The Owyhee charges just $5 for parking after 5 p.m.

Cost for the banquet is $40 for members or $45 for non-members, or you can make sure you get to sit with all your friends by purchasing a reserved table seating up to eight people for $300. Reserved tables are the only way to guarantee preferred seating. All other seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Registration will open online on Monday, March 21 (don’t worry, we’ll alert you when registration opens) and the deadline to reserve your seat is Friday, April 22.

Registration can be done online at idahopressclub.org, where you can also pay for your ticket. There is a $2 service charge per ticket for those who pay online.

Keep an eye out for an announcement when registration opens.

Deanna Darr is a member of the Idaho Press Club board, and is this year’s banquet chair.